Chapter 92: Homecoming and Departure

He had said to let the wet nurse raise the child, but after dinner that evening, Zeng Rongsu couldn’t help but carry Dan Dan to his room.

He placed the child on the bed and lay down face-to-face with Dan Dan.

Dan Dan waved his hands and babbled from time to time.

Zeng Rongsu grasped his little hand and responded with similar sounds.

Ji Xiao couldn’t help but laugh. “You like him that much?”

Zeng Rongsu gestured. “Our child.”

“Right, our child.” Ji Xiao leaned down and hugged him from the side.

Zeng Rongsu slapped his hand. “Dan Dan is still here. Don’t mess around.”

Ji Xiao held his hand. “He’s still young. He doesn’t understand.”

Zeng Rongsu was determined not to let him misbehave.

Ji Xiao said regretfully, “Just a hug, I won’t do anything.”

Tsk. He knew raising a child would lead to no good.

Seeing that he had settled down, Zeng Rongsu turned sideways in his arms and continued communicating with Dan Dan.

Gradually, both he and Dan Dan fell asleep.

Ji Xiao got up, picked up Dan Dan, handed him to the wet nurse outside, then returned comfortably to bed. He curled up the covers and pulled Zeng Rongsu into his arms.

****

In the capital, Zeng Rongjing’s wife had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Madam Zeng and Old Master Zeng happily stayed there until the children could run and jump, then remembered they should go back to see their youngest son.

Madam Zeng raised an eyebrow. “They were meant for the couple. You want them?”

Zeng Rongjing feigned sadness. “I was just adopted. I wouldn’t dare to hope.”

“You unfilial son. If you were adopted, would we have stayed here to raise your children for three years?” Madam Zeng scolded with a smile. “You always talk nonsense.”

Zeng Rongjing rubbed his nose and agreed, not daring to argue.

It was clearly the two old people who wanted to play with their grandchildren.

“Then your father and I will go back first. If you ever lose your official position, come home. Your younger brother and his husband will support you.”

“Mother, you’re always hoping I’ll lose my post.”

“This is to remind you not to make mistakes, otherwise your family will have to rely on your brother.”

“I know, I know.”

…

Zeng Mansion.

Zeng Rongsu searched everywhere but couldn’t find Dan Dan. Red-eyed with worry, he came to Ji Xiao.

Zeng Rongsu angrily slapped him.

Ji Xiao remained unaffected. “Alright, I won’t tidy up, I won’t bother with him.”

Zeng Rongsu was furious.

Ji Xiao smiled and pulled him into his arms. “Alright, don’t be angry. Kids are kids, a little mischief is fine. Xiao Tong is watching him.”

Xiao Tong was the servant specially assigned to look after Dan Dan.

This child was really mischievous. Ever since he could walk and run, he ran everywhere. Once he hid, it took a long time to find him.

It was all because his father and mother had built the mansion too big!

A maidservant ran into the courtyard. “Young Master, the master and mistress are back!”

Zeng Rongsu was startled, then stood up joyfully.

His parents hadn’t returned for three years. Finally, they were back.

Ji Xiao also breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that the old couple was back, they could take care of their grandson themselves.

They had played for three years. He wondered if he should also take Zeng Rongsu out to travel for a few years.

He would leave the family business and the child to them.

Madam Zeng and Old Master Zeng had traveled back leisurely, without any fatigue. As soon as they entered the mansion, they headed straight for their courtyard. “Where is my dear grandson~”

They had raised Zeng Rongjing’s children for three years and had grown to love kids.

That pair of siblings were extremely well-behaved and adorable.

They couldn’t help but want to see if the little grandson who was adopted by their youngest son was just as cute.

Zeng Rongsu’s face froze. ‘Oh no, Dan Dan hasn’t been found yet.’

Madam Zeng entered with a beaming smile. Seeing Zeng Rongsu’s expression, she frowned. “What’s wrong? Not happy that your father and I are back?”

Zeng Rongsu shook his head.

Madam Zeng said disappointedly, “Still not happy?”

Zeng Rongsu: ‘…’ Mother clearly knew that wasn’t what he meant!

Ji Xiao walked over to Zeng Rongsu with a smile. “Father, Mother, how could Susu not be happy that you’re back? These three years, he has missed you so much, his eyes were worn out from longing.”

“The son-in-law sure knows how to talk.” Madam Zeng was overjoyed.

Zeng Rongsu: ‘…’ I never was good with words anyway.

Old Master Zeng coughed lightly. “Alright, if you keep teasing him, Susu will cry.”

Zeng Rongsu: ‘…’ How could he possibly cry!

Madam Zeng glanced around the courtyard. “Where’s the child? Is he asleep?”

Ji Xiao said without changing expression, “The servant took him out to play. Dan Dan is lively and active, loves to play.”

“Dan Dan?” Madam Zeng looked puzzled.

Ji Xiao nodded. “It’s the child’s nickname, Dan Dan.”

Madam Zeng’s expression was complicated.

Just before they left, a child ran over quickly, holding something in his hand, and said excitedly, “I caught a froggy…”

“Young Master…” Xiao Tong chased after him, panting.

Dan Dan saw two unfamiliar people standing with his fathers and stopped just in time, looking at them curiously.

The frog pinched in his hand let out a miserable cry: “Croak…”

Madam Zeng nearly fainted, tremblingly raising her hand. “You, you…”

Dan Dan said innocently, “What’s wrong with me?”

Ji Xiao said in a deep voice, “Put down the frog now!”

Dan Dan glanced at his father’s expression and reluctantly put down the frog.

The rescued frog quickly hopped away.

Seeing Dan Dan’s clothes stained with mud and partially wet, Madam Zeng said with teary eyes, “My dear grandson! How did he end up like this!”

Zeng Rongsu’s face turned red.

Ji Xiao, on the other hand, showed no guilt. “Dan Dan, these are your grandparents.”

Dan Dan tilted his head. “Are they my fathers’ parents?”

Ji Xiao nodded.

With that, Dan Dan immediately rushed over and hugged Madam Zeng’s leg. Tears came as if on cue. “Grandma, you’re finally back, boohoo. You don’t know, Dad is so mean…”

Madam Zeng quickly patted his head sympathetically. “Don’t cry, dear grandson. Tell Grandma, how did your father bully you? Grandma will deal with him!”

Old Master Zeng also looked pained.

Ji Xiao took the opportunity to pull Zeng Rongsu and slip away.

He first went to the accounting office to withdraw a large sum of silver, then directly took Zeng Rongsu out of the Zeng Mansion and headed to Pang Xiaoxiao’s restaurant.

As soon as they entered the restaurant’s backyard, they ran into Pang Xiaoxiao and Guo Yi, who was carrying a bundle.

Pang Xiaoxiao handed the letter in her hand to Ji Xiao. “What a coincidence, we were just about to leave. Since you’re here, I don’t need to send someone to deliver the letter.”

Ji Xiao took the letter but didn’t read it. Instead, he smiled. “That is quite a coincidence. We were also planning to go on a long trip.”

Originally, he was afraid that having the mansion prepare carriages would alert the old couple, so he intended to borrow carriages from Pang Xiaoxiao.

“Oh? We’ve been here for three years and are getting restless. We want to open a branch in the next city. Since that’s the case, why not travel together?”

“Excellent.”

“Don’t you need to pack?”

“No need. As long as we have money, that’s enough. But we do need to borrow some paper and brush.”

“Alright, help yourself.”

Ji Xiao wrote a letter and asked the restaurant’s server to deliver it to the Zeng Mansion the next day.

Then he quickly set off with Pang Xiaoxiao and the others.

Seeing that they would travel together, Pang Xiaoxiao added another carriage.

The two carriages left the city one after the other.

In the carriage, Zeng Rongsu was dazed. It took him a while to snap out of it, then he urgently tugged at Ji Xiao.

Ji Xiao pressed him into his arms. “Be good. Let’s go out and have some fun. These three years, that mischievous kid has been disturbing us quite a lot.”

Zeng Rongsu pinched him. ‘Father and Mother just came back!’

“Don’t worry, we won’t be gone long. We’ll be back before the New Year.”

“…”

The next day, after learning that her son and son-in-law had left a letter and gone away, Madam Zeng flew into a rage.

Old Master Zeng, who had already experienced Dan Dan’s mischievousness, said in a low voice, “Didn’t they say they’d be back before the New Year… That’s only seven or eight months…”

Madam Zeng glared at him.

He immediately changed his tune. “That Lu Xiao is absolutely outrageous! When he gets back, we’ll teach him a lesson with the family rules!”

…

Ji Xiao roamed around with Zeng Rongsu for a few months, then kept his promise and took him back.

They didn’t receive the family punishment, but the old couple refused to handle the business or the child, leaving everything to them.

Fortunately, although Dan Dan was a bit mischievous, he didn’t turn out bad.

As for Pang Xiaoxiao and Guo Yi, they kept opening branches and never encountered another kindred spirit coming to claim kinship.

Even so, they continued opening branches everywhere as usual, living a carefree life, traveling all over the country.

At first, Black Cat would still remind Ji Xiao that the client wanted him to eradicate the family root and branch.

But Ji Xiao said that he had already gained complete control over the Zeng family’s assets, managing everything inside and out. If anything truly happened to the Zeng family, Zeng Rongjing, who had been transferred to the Dalisi (the Supreme Court), would definitely uncover the truth.

Therefore, he never found an opportunity to eradicate them.

Black Cat knew full well that the host was cutting corners again.

In the end, it simply shut up.

After Zeng Rongsu passed away, Ji Xiao still sighed. “No way. In this life, I’ve thought day and night but couldn’t find a perfect way to eradicate them. Big brother was quite capable in this life. In the Dalisi, what couldn’t he investigate?”

Black Cat: ‘…’ Heh, keep making up excuses.

Ji Xiao curled his lips in a smile. “The mission said to find an opportunity to eradicate them. I didn’t find the opportunity, so there’s nothing I can do.”

Black Cat: “The target’s corpse is already cold. Host, let’s go?”

Ji Xiao: “Let’s go. But first, let’s agree: this time, don’t instantly throw me into the next world. I need to take it slow.”

Black Cat: “…Okay.”

It was the same small hill.

Black Cat kept a distance from him and said cautiously, “Host, do you want a smoke? You didn’t smoke a single cigarette in this life.”

Ji Xiao sat down on the spot, picked up the cigarette and lighter from the ground, lit one, and said faintly, “You know I don’t like your original form. Since you can transform into a human, why don’t you?”

Black Cat: ‘…’

It reluctantly transformed into a human form, but still didn’t dare to approach him.

Ji Xiao took a drag of the cigarette and looked at him coldly. “Running so far away, afraid I’ll eat you?”

Black Cat: “Mm-hmm.”

“Hm?”

“No, no, that’s not it. I know you don’t like me, so I wanted to keep out of your sight.”

“Heh.”

Black Cat: “Host, should we go to the next world?”

“What’s the hurry? The cigarette isn’t finished yet,” Ji Xiao didn’t look at it anymore and asked casually, “I remember you said that the system cannot transform into a human form in front of the host?”

The fur on Black Cat’s back bristled. It said warily, “Host, you’re not going to… report me, are you?”

“Oh? Can I report you?” Ji Xiao smiled. “After my mission is completely finished, before I go back, can I report you? Then next time, they’ll give me a different system?”

Black Cat: ‘…’ I was too rash.

He got tricked again.

Black Cat said calmly, “The host does not have the right to report.”

Ji Xiao: “Is that so?”

Black Cat: ‘…’ It wanted to cry.

After finishing a cigarette, Ji Xiao stood up. “I can not report you, but you have to promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“In these last two worlds, no matter what happens, you cannot contact anyone except me, including your team leader.”

‘…’ He had originally planned to ask the team leader for help after sending the host off.

Ji Xiao curled his lips. “Otherwise, I’ll report you.”

Actually, even if it disagreed, he couldn’t do anything.

After all, in his guess, even if he could report Black Cat and get a different system after his memories were cleared, it wouldn’t do him much good.

Black Cat thought it over and gritted its teeth. “I can promise you, but you have to sign a contract with me.”

“What contract?”

“In the last two worlds, I won’t contact anyone. After everything ends, the host cannot report me for anything.”

“Deal.”

Black Cat quickly drafted a contract and pushed it in front of Ji Xiao.

Ji Xiao glanced at the contents and signed it.

Black Cat visibly relaxed.

“Let’s go, next world.” It seemed that this stupid cat really didn’t want to be reported?

“Okay~”

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